Kickstarter Q1 Product Updates: Reach Your Followers, Streamline Fulfillment, and More

Running a Kickstarter campaign has often meant juggling tools, spreadsheets, and fast-moving decisions. 

Over the past few months, we’ve rolled out a new set of updates designed to simplify that process, bringing more of the campaign journey directly into Kickstarter.

From reaching followers and managing orders to fulfillment and tax reporting, these tools give creators more control with less manual work.

We’re also introducing the new Release Notes Hub, a centralized place to stay up to date on the latest product improvements

Across these updates, four core themes emerge:

• Stronger tools to understand and engage your backers
• More control over your project and orders
• Easier fulfillment and distribution
• Simplified tax and reporting workflows

Read on to find out what's new and how it can support your next project.

Build stronger connections with your backers

Your backers aren’t just supporters—they’re your community. These tools help you understand who they are, engage them more meaningfully, and stay connected throughout your campaign.

Message Followers
You’ve worked hard to build a project following, and now you can reach them directly at any stage of your campaign. Message project followers during your live campaign to stay top of mind, build urgency, and convert people who haven’t backed yet, or reach past project followers to invite them into your new launch.Pro tip: Turn follower updates into a conversion moment by offering a secret reward or add-on. Exclusive perks can quickly turn followers into backers.

Filter Backer Reports
Understand who your backers are so you can show up for them in the right way. New filtering options let you segment your audience by backer type, such as followers or returning backers, so you can tailor rewards, personalize communication, and create more meaningful moments that make each group feel seen and valued.

Create Secret Add-Ons
Create exclusive add-ons you can share with specific audiences using private links, giving you a simple way to reward, incentivize, and convert different segments of your community. From early followers to loyal backers, you can offer discounted rewards or exclusives that turn interest into action.

Add Polls to Updates
Bring your community into the process. Add polls to your updates to gather feedback in real time, spark interaction, and make backers feel like active collaborators, so they’re more invested in your project’s success.

More flexibility, less friction in managing orders

Running a campaign means making decisions in real time. These updates give you more control to adjust as you go without disrupting your backers.

Edit Pledge Manager Settings
Make changes as your campaign evolves without disrupting backers. You can now update key parts of your Pledge Manager after launch to fix mistakes, adjust availability, and refine your setup in real time, with changes applying only to future backers and full version history for transparency.

Add Free Items to Orders
It’s now easier to reward the backers who matter most. Add free items directly to orders in the Backer Report to thank groups like early followers or returning backers. Use Backer Report Filters to find them instantly and apply rewards at scale, with full tracking and minimal manual effort.

Fulfillment that works the way you do

Shipping and delivery are some of the most time-intensive parts of running a campaign. These updates reduce manual work and help you stay organized as your project scales.

Sync with ShipStation
Fulfillment can quickly become a manual, error-prone process as campaigns scale. The ShipStation integration removes that friction by syncing finalized Pledge Manager orders directly into ShipStation and automatically sending tracking updates back to Kickstarter, eliminating spreadsheets and manual entry.

Add Multiple Tracking Numbers
Managing split shipments just got a whole lot easier. You can now assign multiple tracking numbers to a single pledge, so backers see every package in one place. They also receive automatic updates as each one ships, reducing confusion and manual coordination.

Send Digital Rewards
Managing digital rewards used to mean external tools, manual sends, and extra steps after your campaign. Now you can upload and distribute files directly through Kickstarter, tied to specific items in your Pledge Manager and delivered automatically or manually, so everything stays organized in one place.

Tools to simplify tax and reporting

Managing compliance can be complex, especially as your project grows. These updates are designed to reduce administrative friction, give you clearer visibility into your reporting, and make the Pledge Manager easier to use in a way that fits your business, including expanding access for more creators.

Access Tax Reports
Generate your tax reports directly in Kickstarter—no need to contact support. Get the information you need, when you need it.

Choose Your VAT Setup
More flexibility, less friction in managing your business. The Pledge Manager now offers flexible VAT handling, letting you choose whether Kickstarter manages VAT or you collect it yourself through your existing systems. This makes it easier to align with your current tax setup and workflows, and opens up Pledge Manager access for more creators whose previous tax setups weren’t supported.

A new way to stay up to date

With so many improvements rolling out, we’ve created the Release Notes Hub — your go-to place for the latest Kickstarter product updates.

Browse by topic, explore new features, and stay informed as we continue building tools to support creators at every stage.

Built to support your next launch

These updates are part of a larger effort to make Kickstarter easier to run, more powerful to grow on, and simpler to manage after launch.

From building momentum before launch to fulfilling rewards after funding, creators now have more control at every stage.

We’ll continue to evolve and expand what’s possible on Kickstarter. and the new Release Notes Hub is the best place to follow what’s next.